


Of Nobles and Thieves

by Jules33



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Denial, Enemies to Lovers, Iwaizumi also being a prick, Kidnapping, M/M, Oikawa being a prick, Robin Hood AU, hella gay, i guess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-09-28
Packaged: 2018-07-22 14:13:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7442293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jules33/pseuds/Jules33
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After witnessing a band of thieves stealing from his castle, Oikawa takes off after them. But when he's caught and kidnapped, he's forced to live in their barbaric camp until a hefty ransom is paid. He hates everything about this camp until a few encounters open his eyes and he starts to see that the world is a bit different than he originally thought it was.</p><p>A Robin Hood AU that's a little off-script, but still just as exciting!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Party of Bandits

A flute’s voice echoed throughout the grand hall, accompanied by a lute and harp. The musicians played a light waltz for several nobles in attendance at the party. They kept a soft beat and watched as people danced and swayed to their melody. Most of the time, though, their eyes kept track of the prince as he tapped his fingers on the arm of his chair, listening on in boredom.

Tonight marked the anniversary of the king and queen of the Seijoh kingdom. Every noble in the surrounding kingdoms received an invitation to attend this royal ball in honor of 20 years in blessed matrimony. As the couple went around the room, greeting guests and making light banter, their son stayed on his throne, not wanting to engage in pleasantries at the moment. He would wave to the few girls who would pass by his seat once in a while, smiling in a charming way that gave no sign to his actual opinion of the event.

Prince Oikawa Tooru was, without a doubt, bored. Bored out of his mind, in fact. He spent his time gazing at the people at the ball rather than socializing with them, which was a little out of character compared to his normal self. His parents had tried to usher him out into the sea of people, but he adamantly refused, feigning fatigue and saying he needed rest from dancing right now.

As his eyes swept across the hall, he detected something peculiar. Most everyone was chatting in comfort, talking and smiling and interacting, but a few people stood out from the crowd. There were two gentleman talking to each other in a corner, snickering between themselves as they scanned the room. A man with tired eyes stood by the buffet table, also looking around the room. And there was a nervous man with tall hair looking about the room while standing almost at the center of it.

Oikawa narrowed his eyes and glanced between the three groups. They didn’t seem too suspicious, but the nervous man was definitely giving something away. The only problem being Oikawa couldn’t put his finger on what it was. Were they poor peasants who had snuck in for a night of fun? Had they come here to court a visiting lady? Were they apart of some group that liked to attend parties and just observe them?

The nervous boy flashed a glance at the boy at the buffet table and nodded slowly as he slipped out to the front door. Oikawa’s eyes widened as he watched the boy at the buffet table nod to the two men in the corner and then head for the front door. The two men waited a moment before waving toward the balcony and walking outside. Oikawa stood and turned to peer at what they waved to up there and froze at what he saw.

A man dashed across the balcony, heading for an open window at the other end. He carried a large sack over his shoulder and wore clothes not suited for this ball at all. A simple green tunic and tan leggings, along with a pair of muddy boots made up his entire outfit. No jewels, or bright colors, or rich fabrics. Only plain items. _Poor_ items.

Oikawa was no idiot. He knew a thief when he saw one. Quickly, he threw off his long cloak and ran for the door, ignoring the people who tried to stop him for a talk. The guards at the door stepped aside as he ran out into the night and looked around, filled with fury. Where had the men gone? What had they even stolen from Oikawa’s castle?

“My Lord,” a guard grabbed his arm with a timid hand to keep the young prince in place, “is something the matter?”

“There’s-” he stopped himself, wondering if this was something to bring to the guard’s attention. If he did, then the party would probably fall into a panicked state and his parents’ anniversary would be ruined. Oikawa looked at the guard and took a deep breath, “Nothing’s wrong, I needed fresh air, that’s all.”

The guard eyed him warily, before letting Oikawa go, “All right, my Lord. Do be careful.”

Oikawa waited until the guard had gone back inside before darting around the castle toward the open window. It hadn’t been too long since the thieves had left, they had to be in this area somewhere. The window was closed, but a shadow ran along the upper walkway. He took off after the figure, following them from below.

When the criminal reached the end, he tossed the sack to the ground before jumping off himself. Voices chattered softly and Oikawa could almost make out their conversation. Something about needing to run and take their loot with them. They wouldn’t make it far, though, with Oikawa in hot pursuit and closing in like a starving predator on its prey.

He skidded to a stop at the edge of the castle wall and peered around the corner, a hand placed on his sword. The four men he had seen inside stood around the sack, bickering over who would have to carry it. The fifth man, the one out of place, was nowhere to be seen.

Oikawa tilted his head, puzzled. The fifth man had jumped from the roof, hadn’t he? He should be with the sack he carried out here. The prince crept closer to the edge, trying to find him along the wall. A firm hand on his shoulder made Oikawa jump and whirl around, but another hand clamped over his mouth before he had the chance to shout.

“My my, who would have thought _you_ would be the one to catch us?” A low voice whispered in his face and Oikawa glared. This man must be the fifth member of the band of thieves, the hidden one from earlier.

In the darkness, Oikawa made out messy hair and broad shoulders. The man had dark eyes and a small smirk that spread across his face, teasing the prince he held in place. His hand was rough and calloused, but also incredibly strong. Oikawa inched his hand closer to his sword, hoping the other man wouldn’t notice.

He noticed.

“Oh? Thought you could get me with this flimsy thing?” The thief pulled the sword from Oikawa’s belt and tossed it aside. Oikawa groaned as it landed in the grass with a soft _thud_ , piercing the earth at least ten feet from where they stood. Too far to break away and snatch. “Nice try, idiot, but I’m smarter than I appear.”

Oikawa’s eyes burned holes into the man’s face, completely offended. How _dare_ he call the prince an idiot? The prince of Seijoh! An idiot!

“Now then, I don’t really know what to do with you. After all, you’ve seen too much here and you’ll run back inside and cry to your mommy and daddy about the terrible men who stole your shiny things and laughed at you as soon as I let you go. I can’t take you with us, either. That would cause quite the uproar. Honestly, the only easy solution would be to kill you and make it seem like an accident.”

The thief laughed at the frightened expression that quickly spread across Oikawa’s face, but his lightheartedness at the grim topic was more worrying than it was relieving. “Don’t worry,” he crooned, “I’m a thief not a murderer.”

He moved his hand from Oikawa’s shoulder to bring a finger to his lips and then shouted to the other men, “It’s Kindaichi’s turn to carry it! Go on ahead, I’ll join you all in a second.”

Another man - presumably Kindaichi - shouted back, “Yes, sir. We’ll see you back at the camp.”

Oikawa heard the group moving away, taking the sack of money with them. He stayed still, obeying the thief’s orders, just in case. The man said he wasn’t a murderer, but Oikawa wasn’t about to test the truth behind his statement.

“Okay, if I move my hand, do you _promise_ not to make any noise?”

The prince nodded and the thief eased his hand away from his mouth. As soon as it disappeared, Oikawa opened his mouth and screamed as loud as his body would allow, praying a guard nearby would hear him. It was a risky move, but the thieves wouldn’t be able to get far with the royal guards in pursuit of them.

“You damn brat!” The thief grabbed him and hoisted Oikawa over his shoulder,  fleeing toward the forest. Despite his position, Oikawa continued to scream until the thief threw him down onto the forest floor and put his boot over Oikawa’s mouth.

Tears sprang to his eyes as the thief pressed his filthy boot down. Hard. Was he crying from the pain or the fact that he was getting disgusting, peasant mud all over his face? Probably both.

“I told you to be quiet!” The thief hissed at him and looked around, trying to see if any guards were coming their way. He heard the sound of voices and heavy footsteps approaching and the thief cursed quite audibly.

“If you had just _listened,_  then I would have let you go. Now, we’re a little fucked because you couldn’t keep your big mouth shut,” the man pinched the bridge of his nose, deep in thought. “I didn’t want to do this, but it may be our best option. Tell me, prince, how much do you suppose you’re worth?”

Oikawa gave the man a confused look as the boot moved away from his mouth. He watched as the man drew it back and went to open his mouth to scream again. However, he didn’t have the opportunity to make noise this time as he felt a sharp pain in his head and then saw the forest floor disappear into an inky darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I'm going to try to update once a week, so be on the lookout for chapter 2.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are VERY appreciated, I'd love to know your thoughts and suggestions!


	2. Welcome to Camp Sunshine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Home sweet Hoooooooly shit

When Oikawa finally came to, the first thing he sensed was the throbbing headache he had.  _ Fuck _ . What had even caused this unbearable pain? The last thing he remembered was chasing a band of robbers and getting thrown onto the ground and then--

Wait a second, the robbers!

Oikawa shot up from where he was lying down and immediately regretted it. The dull pounding in his head spiked and he went to rest his head in his hands, but soon realized they were tied behind his back. As he squirmed around, he tried to break free of his bonds, but they had tied the rope tight and he only succeeded in burning his wrists. The prince opened his mouth and found out they had gagged him, much to his displeasure. He awkwardly thrashed around, grunting and huffing, before accepting his defeat and deciding he might as well take in his surroundings.

There was a small campfire in front of him, with a pot hanging over it, cooking a meal with a rather foul odor. Oikawa himself sat upon a plain wool blanket, with a pillow made of hay lying near him. There were four tents set up around the outer circle of the campsite and eight tree stumps around the inner circle, closer to the fire. A few more blankets laid out in the grass, with empty bowls, tools, and weapons lying on them.

Everything looked plain and run down. It was nothing like Oikawa had ever experienced in his entire life. Did people actually  _ sleep _ in those tents?  _ Comfortably _ ?

“I see sleeping beauty has woken up,” Oikawa whirled around to find the two men who were in the corner of the ballroom from before staring at him.

“Do you think we should knock him out again? I don’t know what to do with him now that he’s awake.”

“No way, you know how much trouble we’d get in if the prince got any more bruises on his face? It’s already bad enough as it is.”

Did Oikawa look bad right now? What had they did to him and his precious face? Oikawa squirmed and tried to shout at the men, but his gag only let muffled grunts through.

The darker-haired thief crouched down to eye Oikawa closer, “Hello, prince. I’m Issei Matsukawa and my friend here is Takahiro Hanamaki. We’re a part of a, um-” he shot a glance to his friend for help.

“A group of pilfering almoners,” the other man said with pride.

The dark-haired man, Matsukawa, shook his head, “No, it’d be pilfering if we weren’t stealing so much gold.”

Hanamaki smirked and pointed to the prince, “To him, it’s pilfering.”

They both laughed in agreement before Matsukawa turned his attention back to Oikawa, “Anyways, we’re a group of almoners. You know what that is, right?” Oikawa nodded slowly and the man continued, “Right, so then you know we’re not bad guys. We’re giving money to the poor people of Seijoh; it’s charity work. Which isn’t bad, is it?” Oikawa shook his head slowly, a little lost.

“He’s very smart,” Hanamaki noted.

“He sure is,” Matsukawa agreed. “Smart people understand our line of work quite well, don’t they, prince?” Now Oikawa was starting to get the hang of things. He nodded again.

“Smart people know where we’re coming from, too. You see, your family has quite a lot of money, prince. The only problem is, they have a little  _ too  _ much money. That’s where we come in.”

“Exactly. People like us borrow small, insignificant amounts of money from your family and give it back to the commoners of Seijoh. After all, the high taxes on this land are where your family gets all of their money. We’re just returning some of the taxes to the people who really need it. You understand, right?”

Although he did not quite understand, Oikawa nodded nonetheless. It didn’t really make any sense. Why did these people steal money if they weren’t keeping it? What good was that? And if they were so good at stealing money, then why did they live in such poor tents? It was extremely confusing and Oikawa had so many questions for these two men, but alas, he was unable to talk at the moment.

“Now then, it is with great misfortune I must tell you that you will be living with us for a little while.”

Hanamaki nodded and placed a hand over his heart, trying to appear sympathetic, “We understand this will be hard for you. After all, we don’t have servants here to wipe our asses for us.”

Matsukawa elbowed the other man in the leg and they both snickered a bit, “Anyways, you’re going to be our guest here, so you should mind your manners for the time being.”

Oikawa nodded obediently and they smiled at him. Things were going much smoother now. 

“First things first, you should probably get out of those ridiculous clothes.”

“You won’t last five seconds in our camp with shoes like those.”

“Or hot buns on your arms.”

Once again, the two men laughed and left Oikawa feeling out of place. His puffed sleeves did  _ not _ look ridiculous. They were of the highest fashion right now. His tunic was of the finest white linens and the blue decals on it were nothing to laugh at. His light blue tights were a little ripped now, but they were still far better than the worn brown tights of the men in front of him. Not to mention, his pointed slippers were expensive, even if they weren’t comfortable.

Oikawa’s outfit was a completely acceptable thing to wear, even in this crappy forest. After all, people needed to be aware of his high stance in society at all times. The gold brooch on his chest was proof enough he only wore the most luxurious of garments. He looked down at himself to admire his favorite brooch and gasped. Those bastards had ripped it right off his chest! There was even a tear in his tunic from where it had once been!

“Ah, it looks like he realized his brooch is missing,” Hanamaki said.

“He looks pretty upset about it. You don’t presume it was expensive, do you?”

“The prince was wearing it, of course it’s expensive!”

They laughed. Again. Oikawa was beginning to get tired of all this laughing at his expense.

“All right prince, you’ll be wearing one of my spare outfits for the time being,” Matsukawa helped Oikawa to his feet and began leading him to a tent, “You can borrow Hanamaki’s extra pair of boots, he looks closer to your size.”

Matsukawa began digging around in the tent, pulling out articles of clothes and tossing them onto the pile blankets in the center of the tent. Oikawa stared at the garments and wrinkled his nose in disgust. They looked dirty.

“I’m going to untie you, so you can change, but don’t try anything funny, all right? No screaming or running away. And no stealing anything, that’s our job,” he laughed to himself and quickly untied the prince’s wrists, sliding the gag off as well.

Oikawa massaged the marks the rope had left and sighed. If only he had stayed on his throne during the ball, then he wouldn’t have to suffer the rope burns on his wrists. And he wouldn’t have to wear peasant clothes, either. God, he wanted to cry right now.

Matsukawa left and Oikawa stared at the pile of clothes in front of him. He really didn’t want to change, but his leggings were starting to fall apart and his tunic was a little itchy. The long sleeves of his silk undershirt were caked with dirt and covered in tears. What poor treatment he must have suffered for his clothes to become so distressed.

With another sigh, Oikawa quickly shed his royal clothes and began putting on the new outfit provided for him. The pants were a disgusting tan color and he pulled them on with a heart full of regret. They fit fine, though he did have to tighten them a bit, tying the cord around inside a bit more. His shirt looked like some kind of thin pillowcase with sleeves. Oikawa slid it on and held his arms up; the thing hung off of him like a sheet, it was so baggy. He threw on the leather vest and quickly laced it up, tying the accompanying belt (if it could even be called a belt) tightly around his waist.

Everything was much..  _ Freer _ than he was accustomed to.

He pulled on the boots last and tucked most of his pants into them. They were knee-length and a dark shade of brown leather, with varying shades of mud over the toe and bottom of the shoe. They were a little too big, uncomfortably so, but they were better than his awkward slippers.

Oikawa took the time to move about in his new outfit. The shirt was so thin, the air brushed his skin as he walked around the tent. His pants took a bit of getting used to - he was much better acquainted with the tightness of his usual clothes and this bagginess was foreign. Though the clothes themselves lay outside his comfort zone, he didn’t  _ dislike _ them. They would be okay for now.

He walked out cautiously and looked around. Matsukawa and Hanamaki chatted by the fire, along with the bored-looking man and a shorter man Oikawa had not seen the night before. They all looked over at him as he exited the tent.

“I believe that outfit suits you better than me,” Matsukawa smiled and Oikawa nodded gratefully. Even in peasant clothes, he still looked stunning. Such was the life of a prince.

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” The bored man looked over Oikawa, “I doubt he’ll help out around camp.”

Hanamaki laughed, “That’s rich coming from you, Kunimi. You do just enough to scrape by.”

The short man looked between the two and frowned, “I don’t know, Hanamaki, Kunimi might be right. The prince lived a really pampered life. No offense, but he probably can’t even hunt, much less clean.”

Not true! Oikawa was capable of both of those things. Sure, he had never been the best archer, but he knew how to pick up after himself, at least. Most of the time, he had servants do his cleaning for him, but that didn’t mean he had no idea how to do it. He’d watched them enough times to understand the basics of what to do.

“Look,” Matsukawa stated, “I don’t really like the idea of him being here either, but Iwaizumi said we only had to deal with him for a few days. A week, at most. This will all pay off in the end.”

“Excuse me,” Oikawa said, getting the four men’s attention. “I would like to know what exactly I am doing here,” he took a deep breath to try to steady his quivering voice, “you took me from my home, beat, tied me up and gagged me, laughed at me, and forced me to wear these ridiculous clothes. If it’s not too much to ask, I think I deserve a bit of an explanation.”

They all looked amongst each other, before erupting into a chorus of laughs, minus Kunimi. Hanamaki walked over and placed a hand on Oikawa’s shoulder, “You’re being held hostage, mister prince.”

Oikawa blinked, “What?”

“Hostage,” Hanamaki repeated, slower this time. “We’re keeping you here until your parents give us a lot of money to get you back. Don’t worry though, we’ll take good care of you.”

“Don’t say it like that,” the shorter man shook his head at Hanamaki. “You’re just going to be living with us for a while, okay? The money we may or may not be getting from your parents has nothing to do with it.”

Matsukawa laughed, “Don’t lie to him, Watari. The money is the whole reason we  _ are _ doing it. I’m sure we’ll get a fat sum of gold for the prince here, enough so we’ll be able to keep the commoners happy for a good while.”

Oikawa suddenly felt terrified of these men. His life rested in their hands as of now. If, at any point, they decided to kill him, they would do it with ease and without any regrets. The prince only hoped his parents would give them enough money so his life would be spared. 

“I’m pretty sure Yahaba and Kyoutani are on their way back,” Kunimi interrupted Oikawa’s silent prayers. “I can hear them arguing from here.”

Sure enough, two more men soon joined the group. One scared Oikawa a lot with just a scowl and the other looked almost as regal as the prince himself. Both were bickering while hauling a deer between them.

“Kyoutani, I’m not giving you a choice in the matter.  _ You’re _ going to skin the deer because  _ I _ shot it. If you had better aim, then you wouldn’t have to deal with the chore.”

The other man growled(?) and Watari dashed over to take the deer from Yahaba’s hands. Oikawa’s eyes followed the men as they carried the carcass off to be gutted and cleaned while Yahaba took a seat on one of the stumps by the fire. Kunimi joined him and they talked quietly.

Hanamaki cleared his throat, “Hey, Yahaba, did you see Iwaizumi and Kindaichi on your way back? Iwaizumi said he wanted to be here when the prince woke up.” 

“They’re not too far behind us. When we passed by, they were almost done with the village.”

Matsukawa went inside his tent and came out with a bowl, going over to the pot and filling it. The soup was watered down compared to what Oikawa normally ate and it looked chunky. There was a putrid odor wafting from it as well. Something like a dying animal mixed with pine. Not a pleasant combination.

“Here,” Matsukawa handed him the bowl and Oikawa stared at it, “You’re probably hungry, so go ahead and eat.”

Dear god. They couldn’t really expect Oikawa to eat something like this, could they? It was even more revolting up close. The color was the same as muddy puddles of rainwater and Oikawa didn’t even  _ want  _ to know what was floating around in it. He thought for certain he saw an eyeball slosh in the bowl when Matsukawa passed it to him.

Everyone stared at him expectantly and it made Oikawa self-conscious. Hanamaki snickered and shook his head, mumbling something about rich people food. Yahaba and Kunimi exchanged glances and went back to their quiet muttering, no doubt talking about Oikawa’s rude behavior. The last straw was when Matsukawa offered to eat it himself if Oikawa was going to be so petty about the whole ordeal.

If he was going to live in this camp, he was going to have to live with their food. After a deep breath, he stood up a bit taller and brought the bowl of soup to his lips. This was going to be the worst thing in his entire life, but it would be worth it to prove to these men that he was just as strong as they were, if not stronger. Quickly, Oikawa tipped the bowl back and began chugging down the substance, pausing to chew when he had to. He refrained from screaming at the distastefulness of it all.

In a few minutes, Oikawa had drained the entire bowl, eyeball and all. He enjoyed some seconds of bathing in the men’s impressed stares before he promptly vomited it all over the ground. It tasted even worse the second time.

“There, there,” Matsukawa was currently rubbing his back while Oikawa stared at the mess by his feet, doubled over, “Not everyone can handle camp soup on their first go around. Even Kunimi has a hard time eating it.”

“Shut up,” Oikawa grimaced, “That was the most disgusting thing I’ve ever eaten. I’ve had poison better than- than whatever the hell that was.”

“Aw,” Hanamaki chuckled, “We’ll have to tell Iwaizumi you didn’t like his signature dish.”

Matsukawa led Oikawa back to the blanket pile he originally woke up on and helped him settle down, “I’ll go get you some bread. Try to eat it slowly this time.”

Oikawa huffed and rearranged the pillows a bit until he had a comfortable mock throne. For the next few days, this shabby campsite was going to be his kingdom, so he might as well make the best of it. His first decree would be to fix the food situation, but he would bring that up in a meeting or something later. At least,  _ if _ these people had meetings. They seemed pretty barbaric so far.

Soon, Matsukawa returned with a small loaf of bread which he tossed to Oikawa before settling down next to Hanamaki. They joined in on Yahaba and Kunimi’s conversation, joking and laughing with them like a big group of friends. The situation was unfamiliar to Oikawa. 

He nibbled his bread and studied the group like a student observing the ways of his instructors. When he was growing up, Oikawa had never had many friends, mostly due to his life as the prince, and so he was unsure how to go about interacting with these men. Sure, Oikawa charmed and enchanted the guests in attendance at parties with ease, but that always seemed so fake to him. Those people only treated him politely because of his title, not because of him. And the castle servants rarely engaged him in conversation because they had work to do. Also because they could be easily fired or killed if they offended the prince.

In the end, Oikawa was a lonesome young man who spent most of his days reading or walking through the palace gardens. He wanted to join the conversation between these men in front of him, but it was hard and no amount of literature prepared him for actual social interactions. These people didn’t talk like the characters in his books, anyway. They were loud and brash and, worst of all, they  _ cursed _ .  _ Out loud _ .

Actually, what was Oikawa doing? Here he sat, thinking about talking with some stupid group of peasants, when he could easily be escaping right now. His arms and legs were free, he wasn’t gagged, they weren’t even watching him; the opportunity was perfect. Sure, he had no idea where he was right now, but if he ran far enough, then he would probably get back to his castle. Back to his fancy, comfortable, safe castle.

Oikawa crawled backwards, away from the fire, trying to stay quiet. He waited until he had a decent enough head start before slowly rising to his feet and beginning to tip-toe away. It seemed almost too easy and the prince sent a quick prayer up to heaven in thanks for this small gift.

As soon as he hit the edge of the camp, right where the clearing ended and the trees began, Oikawa took off, running as fast as his legs could carry him. He laughed as he heard the startled shouts of the men behind him, realizing their prisoner had escaped and beginning to take off after him. It only made Oikawa’s blood rush a little more as he moved his legs faster, avoiding fallen branches and twisted roots below him.

This whole chase was so exciting to the prince, so much fun, in fact, that he did not even hear the quiet voices in front of him until he turned a sharp corner and smacked directly into someone else. The force pushed the other man down toward the ground and Oikawa came tumbling after. His hands caught him before he almost smacked his head into the other man’s and he stared down at the person who he just happened to make the mistake of running into.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sure this will end beautifully. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!


	3. Foes and Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the support! You guys are great

_ Oh shit, _ was the first thing that crossed Oikawa’s mind as he stared into the dark eyes of the thief who had caught him last night. The man didn’t seem pleased.

“I see Matsukawa and Hanamaki still have a hard time following orders,” the thief glared at Oikawa and he swallowed nervously. Only bad things could happen at this point, especially considering how mad this man looked.

“If you don’t mind,” the thief cleared his throat, “Would you please get off of me? There’s a root digging into my back.”

Oikawa scrambled up and thought about running, but decided against it. He’d definitely be caught without the thief having to break a sweat. 

The thief brushed himself off and grabbed Oikawa’s arm. Another hand grabbed Oikawa’s other arm and he blinked in surprise. He hadn’t even realized the nervous man from last night was also there. They must have been the two men that Hanamaki was talking about earlier.

Like a captured rabbit, They dragged Oikawa back to the camp. The group of men glared at him as he walked back in, though a few were missing. They were probably still  searching for him in the forest.

“Kindaichi,” the strong thief said, “Go get the others out of the woods and tell them we got the prince. I’ll deal with this asshole myself.”

The nervous man nodded and ran back into the woods while the other man took Oikawa into a tent. He shot pleading glances to the men around the campfire, but they all ignored him. Left alone, once again, with his hands in the life of some stranger who was mean and cruel. He had come full circle since when he woke up originally.

The man threw Oikawa down onto the ground as soon as they got into the tent and the prince winced from the rough treatment. He quickly sat up, however, and began crawling backwards in a desperate attempt to get away from the man. There was a fierce, dangerous spark in the thief’s eyes and it reminded Oikawa of the time he had stolen food from the kitchen and received a vicious scolding from the cook. A terrifying experience, one he’d never forget.

“Listen here, I don’t want you to pull something like that  _ ever _ again, understand?” Oikawa nodded slowly, staring at the man with wide eyes. “You’re staying here for a while, so no trying to escape. I want you out of here just as badly as you do, but we need to be patient for a little while. Otherwise, I’ll have to send you home covered in bruises and then we won’t get as much money. Do you understand?” Again, Oikawa nodded, trying to hold back the tears forming in his eyes.

The thief sighed and dug around in his tent, pulling out a length of rope, “Until we can start to trust you again, you’re gonna have your arms and legs tied.” He came over and crouched in front of Oikawa, pulling the prince’s legs out a bit to tie his ankles tightly together before doing the same to his wrists. It was embarrassing, to say the least.

“I’ll go get you something to eat and drink, so stay put,” he walked out of the tent and Oikawa heard him talking to the other men outside.

The prince sighed and looked around the new tent, trying to assess this thief. It was a bit larger than Matsukawa’s and had a few more pillows inside. Perhaps more than one person slept in here. It would make sense, considering they had eight members from what Oikawa had seen so far. The men probably buddied up, two inside each tent.

He tried to imagine the possible pairings from what he had seen so far. Matsukawa and Hanamaki definitely shared a tent, those two seemed close. Despite their arguing, Yahaba and Kyoutani most likely shared a tent considering they went hunting together. Which left Kindaichi, Kunimi, Watari, and the strong thief. Kindaichi and the other thief probably shared a tent because Oikawa had bumped into them in the woods together. That left Kunimi and Watari together, which sort of made sense, he supposed.  

The strong thief walked back into the tent with a piece of bread and a canteen, handing them over to Oikawa who accepted them gratefully and began drinking. It was a little difficult with his hands tied together, but at least the water didn’t taste disgusting, like the soup.

“My name’s Iwaizumi, by the way. I’m the leader of this group.”

Oikawa set the canteen down and looked at him, “ _ You’re _ the Iwaizumi who made that soup earlier?”

Iwaizumi gave him a puzzled stare and nodded slowly, which led to Oikawa bursting into a fit of laughter. This man! The head of this gang and the strong thief who captured Oikawa not once, but twice! This proud man was the same man who had made the most wretched bowl of soup Oikawa had ever had the displeasure of eating. How hilarious.

“Hey! What are you laughing for, prince?” Iwaizumi glared at him, but Oikawa only laughed harder, not so afraid of someone he saw as such a horrendous cook.

“I can’t believe you made such a terrible slop! How can one person be so bad at cooking?”

Iwaizumi’s face turned a few shades redder with embarrassment as he smacked Oikawa’s arm, “Shut up! It’s filled with protein. Just because some food snob like you can’t handle it, doesn’t mean it’s terrible.”

“I’m pretty sure I could do better and the most I’ve ever cooked was roasted garlic.”

“You probably don’t even know how to chop and prepare a pheasant. Your soup would turn out like some feather-filled sludge with raw bits in it.”

“At least I’d take out the eyeballs.”

“Those are the best part!”

Oikawa laughed more and shook his head, “I’m pretty sure only you believe that.”

“Whatever, I don’t deserve this kind of treatment from you, even if you are a prince.”

“Excuse me, I’m not the one kidnapping people and tying them up. A few criticisms on your soup are completely acceptable considering the position I’m in here.”

“You have to be tied up or else you’ll run away. It’s your fault, prince.”

Oikawa wrinkled his nose, “Stop calling me that, it’s weird hearing it out here when I’m not even in my princely clothes.”

“Oh? And what would you like me to call you? Your majesty? Lord of the Forest? His royal highness?” Iwaizumi had quite the attitude, Oikawa noted. In all eighteen years of his life, nobody had ever treated him like this. He found it incredibly concerning that he didn’t dislike it entirely. 

“Oikawa. Call me by my name.”

Iwaizumi blinked and cleared his throat, “All right then, Assikawa it is.”

“Hey! That is not what I said!”

The other man laughed and Oikawa couldn’t even stop a smile from spreading across his face. Iwaizumi had an infectious smile for some reason. Like the plague.

“Consider it a nickname, you’ve had those before, right?”

“That’s not a nickname, it’s more like an insult. Plus, only friends have nicknames and I don’t remember ever calling you my friend.”

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes, “You’re right, how had I forgotten? A prince like you could never become acquainted with some common peasant like me.”

Though it was true - the two men lived within completely different spectrums of society, after all - Iwaizumi’s words still stung. It was odd, mostly because he couldn’t understand why he would want to be friends with someone who currently held him for ransom, but Oikawa really enjoyed talking to Iwaizumi. Maybe because he never had someone treat him without the utmost respect. He felt like he was talking to an equal here, not a royal kind of equal with a pompous attitude and snotty words, but a person who laughed and argued and teased and did things Oikawa had never done before. He liked it.

“Well,” he eyed Iwaizumi warily, “I suppose I can make an exception, but only if you ask nicely.”

“I have to  _ ask _ if I can be your friend?”

“Is that not what I said? And you have to ask nicely, too. I know it might be hard for your dumb brain to think of manners, but you should at least try.”

“I don’t know. After that comment, I might be reconsidering,” he laughed at Oikawa’s shocked expression and shook his head. “Kidding. I’m only kidding. Despite these odd circumstances, I’d like to be your friend, if you’d have me.”

The soft smile on Iwaizumi’s face made Oikawa swallow and he quickly looked away. He certainly hadn’t expected such a kind request from someone who almost made him cry minutes earlier. And his wording was so- so--  _ weird _ . 

_ If you’d have me. _

It sounded so formal, something Oikawa was used to hearing. To have it come from this man - a man in rags and with mud in his hair - was like hearing a wolf’s howl come from a rabbit. Not to mention, it was, well.. Oikawa decided not to dwell on it for fear of his embarrassment showing.

“All right. Despite these  _ very _ odd circumstances, we can be friends.”

Iwaizumi nodded and patted Oikawa’s back, standing up, “Don’t think this means you’re getting untied, though.”

“What?” Oikawa glared up at him and squirmed in his bindings. “You won’t even take pity on a friend?”

“I’ll take pity on a friend who’s earned my trust. We only just became friends, however. I’m sure you can understand.” 

Oikawa tried wriggling after Iwaizumi once he opened the tent flap, shouting at him from where he scrambled around in the dirt, “Where do you suppose you’re going? You can’t leave me like this!”  
Iwaizumi paused and turned to smirk down at Oikawa one last time, “I can, and I will. Stay put.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendship blossoms in the strangest of places.
> 
> Kudos and Comments are super appreciated! Let me know what you think.


	4. Sweet Dreams

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I am terrible at keeping up with schedules..
> 
> Forgive me, my interest in things fluctuates a lot. I have 10 other fics on my plate right now and I'm cycling through them constantly. This fic will take a lot longer than expected umu

It was hours later when Iwaizumi finally returned to the tent. At least, it  _ felt _ like hours. Oikawa wasn’t an expert on telling time, but he knew it had to have been a long time because his arms were starting to cramp and the sun was setting. Hopefully, Iwaizumi would be more understanding at nighttime; sleeping in bonds wouldn’t be comfortable at all.

“Oi, Shittykawa,” Oikawa refused to pay any attention to Iwaizumi. His name hadn’t been said and he had been left in the tent, alone, for quite some time. Iwaizumi deserved the cold shoulder. “Hey, look at me.”

Iwaizumi was obviously getting annoyed, but Oikawa didn’t dare give him the satisfaction of knowing he could call the prince whatever he wanted and treat him like some kind of animal. The only name Oikawa would respond to was his own and nothing else. Not to mention, he still deserved respect, prisoner or not. 

There was a sudden yank on the back of Oikawa’s head, forcing him to stare up at Iwaizumi, “Are you deaf? I told you to look up at me.”

Oikawa met his scowl with a glint in his eyes, lips curling into a wry grin,“Oh? Were you talking to me? I’m sorry, I didn’t hear my name called.”

Iwaizumi turned his gaze toward the ground and took a deep breath, “My apologies, Lord Oikawa, I was under the assumption that I could speak freely with you in a more colloquial manner. Have you changed your mind in the time that I’ve been absent?”

Oikawa eyed the man in front of him and wondered if Iwaizumi had been possessed between now and and the last time he saw him. Where on Earth did  _ that _ come from? Where did a peasant like Iwaizumi learn to talk like that?

“No, I haven’t changed my mind. Please don’t speak to me like that ever again.”

Iwaizumi laughed and let go of Oikawa’s head, “So will you complain about your nicknames anymore, Shittykawa?”

“I won’t complain about them if you let me give you an equally insulting nickname.”

“All right, fine. I’m sure whatever it is, I won’t mind. Besides, if you’re the one coming up with it, then it won’t affect me at all.”

How presumptuous of the thief. Oikawa could easily think of an insulting nickname, he just needed a moment. Iwaizumi’s name didn’t easily blend into a curse, but Oikawa wouldn’t say it even it did. Unlike  _ some _ people, he still had some manners.

Iwaizumi. Iwaipooey. That was terrible. Iwailooney. Again, terrible. Iwasoup. Ha, a crack at his bad cooking skills, but still not good enough.

Oikawa chewed his lip in thought, before a brilliant idea struck him, “How about Iwa-chan?”

A bright vermillion painted Iwaizumi’s cheeks and Oikawa had to bite his tongue to keep from laughing, “Anything but that.”

“It’s too late, Iwa-chan! This is your nickname now.”

“Oikawa, I swear to god. If you call me that, I’ll kick your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit for a week.”

“You said my nickname wouldn’t affect you, Iwa-chan. Are you changing your mind?”

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes, “Fine, Assikawa. Go ahead and call me that.”

“I will, Iwa-chan.”

They stared at each other for a moment, testing to see if the other one would cave and admit defeat. Oikawa wasn’t fond of his nicknames, but he could bear them if it meant making Iwaizumi so embarrassed. No insult Iwaizumi hurled at him could make him back down now.

“Whatever,” Iwaizumi broke eye-contact first and Oikawa silently cheered, “I only came in here to give you some dinner. We roasted the deer and there’s some alcohol to go along with it, if you’d like.”

“That sounds wonderful. Am I allowed to use my hands or will you be feeding me?”

Iwaizumi whipped a dagger out of his belt and reached around Oikawa to cut his bonds as an answer to his smart-ass statement. Feeding the prince was obviously out of the question.

_ Figures, _ Oikawa thought,  _ Iwa-chan would rather risk losing me instead of losing his pride. _

As if reading his thoughts, Iwaizumi spoke up, “I’m going to stay in here and watch you eat, so don’t even think about running off.”

Oikawa rolled his eyes and massaged his wrists, “For the love of Seijoh, I’m not going to try anything. I already learned from my first experience that there’s no escaping the ferocious Iwa-chan.”

“I’ll be even more ferocious if you  _ do _ escape again. And I definitely won’t untie you until this week is over.”

“You say that, but I bet you wouldn’t lay a finger on me. To bruise such beautiful skin would hurt you more than it would hurt me,” Oikawa teased.

Iwaizumi raised a brow and smirked, “Oh really? Would you like to test that theory?”

Oikawa shook his head and blushed at Iwaizumi’s laughter. Even if they seemed like empty threats, there was a high chance that Iwaizumi wasn’t kidding about hurting him if need be. He didn’t want to risk it and find out.

“I’ll be right back,” Iwaizumi ducked out of the tent and returned moments later with a plate of meat and a small cup.

There were no utensils to use and it took Oikawa a few seconds to realize that he was supposed to eat with his hands. Another barbaric touch of life that he would have to get used to, apparently. Even though he cringed picking up the meat, he got over the repulsiveness soon enough and ate rather normally. 

The meat wasn’t seasoned, just cooked. When he asked about it, Iwaizumi told him that they usually burned the meat a little for some added flavor. Oikawa sent a silent prayer up to heaven that these men would one day learn the error of their ways.

Once Oikawa had finished, he wiped his hands off on his pants and reached over to grab his cup. The liquid didn’t have quite the same color as the wine that Oikawa usually drank with his meals, but it was probably just peasant wine. He had seen plenty of the servants drinking the amber liquid to know it was still wine. They certainly seemed to enjoy it, so why shouldn’t he?

He took a sip, ready for the sweet, yet slightly sour, embrace of wine. The alarming bitterness overpowered his senses and caused Oikawa to spit it back out. Whatever that was, it certainly was not wine. It tasted closer to pisswater than the grape beverage Oikawa was so accustomed to.

“Are you trying to poison me?” He snapped, glaring at Iwaizumi.

The thief laughed, “Were you expecting some kind of sweet wine to dance across your tongue? Haven’t you realized where we are? There are no fancy drinks in golden chalices here, we’re peasants.”

Oikawa shot a glance back to his cup and wondered if he really  _ did _ drink pisswater. Could it be that all the peasants in the land had some sort of appreciation for urine? Was this something he had never been aware of up until now? Did these thieves drink pisswater? Oh God, would  _ he _ have to drink pisswater while living here?

“It’s called beer,” Iwaizumi said. “It’s made of barley and yeast, mainly, and it has an acquired taste. I would’ve warned you, but then I wouldn’t have gotten to see the shocked expression on your face when you drank it.”

Oikawa turned his eyes back to Iwaizumi, a scalding fire in his glare, “You knew of the repugnance and you did nothing to warn me?”

Iwaizumi chuckled and nodded, “It was pretty funny to see you spit it all out, I wasn’t expecting you to be so dramatic. Would you like me to get you some water?”

At first, Oikawa was going to demand that Iwaizumi bring him another drink - he wasn’t going to suffer through drinking that nauseating beverage if he didn’t have to - but then Iwaizumi had to take a shot at his pride. If this damned peasant thought he could just poke fun at Oikawa for his reaction to a dreadful beverage, then he had another thing coming. Oikawa would show him. He’d prove his worth.

Completely forgetting how the events unfolded after his  _ first _ attempt to chug down something he didn’t like, Oikawa began guzzling down the liquid as if he would die without it. On its journey down, the beer burned like fire, and Oikawa felt the tears forming at the corners of his eyes, but he pressed on. Nobody,  _ nobody _ , made a fool of Oikawa Tooru. At least, not when he could prevent it. 

The cup created a small cloud of dirt when Oikawa slammed it back down, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. As terrible as the experience was, he managed to down the entirety of the beer and was now left with a satisfied buzz in his body - from both the victory and the alcohol.

Iwaizumi blinked, stunned into silence, so Oikawa took the opportunity to boost himself up even more, “Actually, I think I could use another cup of beer.”

Still in a state of shock, Iwaizumi got up quietly, taking Oikawa’s cup outside to get him a refill. Oikawa rejoiced, pleased that he could do something so cool in front of Iwaizumi. It wasn’t as if he cared highly for the thief’s opinion of him, but it was still rewarding to make Iwaizumi proud of him. 

Iwaizumi came back in and sat down across from Oikawa, handing him a cup. He took a sip from his own and cleared his throat, “That was impressive, I won’t lie. Incredibly stupid, but impressive.”

It was one thing to think Iwaizumi was proud of him in a swell of arrogance, it was another thing to hear it. Oikawa chose to look at the pelts on Iwaizumi’s bed instead of at the man himself. There were quite a many: wolves, foxes, rabbits, maybe even an otter or two.

“Don’t get all embarrassed, you idiot. I’m not complimenting you, what you did was stupid.”

“You just said it was impressive!” Oikawa protested.

“Did I? I don’t remember doing something so absurd.”

Wait. Had he not actually said it? Oikawa had been certain that Iwaizumi had complimented him. He remembered, because it made him feel.. Something. Happy, probably. That’s how people usually felt when they received praise. If Iwaizumi hadn’t actually complimented him, then-- 

Oikawa noticed the smirk on Iwaizumi’s face and cried in frustration before grabbing one of the pelts and smacking him with it, “Don’t be so rude!”

Iwaizumi laughed and raised his hands in defense as Oikawa continued his onslaught, “You should have seen the look on your face! I thought I had kicked a puppy instead of taking back a compliment for some egotistical prince.”

“You’re the worst, Iwa-chan! You’re mean and cruel and heartless.”

After a bit, Iwaizumi finally grabbed Oikawa’s wrists, tired of being assaulted. He continued to laugh as Oikawa struggled, waiting for the bratty prince to calm down. Oikawa huffed and started to relax as he stared down at Iwaizumi.

The more Oikawa stared, the more he didn’t want to look away. Iwaizumi’s smile was like the flowers that bloomed in his castle garden. It was radiant and full of life and, for some reason, it made Oikawa feel wonderfully warm inside, like he was soaking in a hot bath back at the palace.

“Oikawa?” Iwaizumi released his grip on Oikawa’s wrists and the prince immediately fell backwards, fingers clutching the earth for stability.

What just happened? One moment, he was attacking Iwaizumi in a fit of rage and the next he was staring at Iwaizumi’s smile, frozen. It was as if some sort of curse had been placed upon him. What a terrible thing.

He shook his head to clear his mind, “Sorry, I zoned out for a bit right there. I think I might be tired from the day’s events.”

Iwaizumi nodded, “Yeah, I don’t blame you. I’m sure today’s been quite the adventure. Do you want to go to bed?”

That was probably all Oikawa really needed. Some rest. Whatever happened earlier was caused by his exhaustion and nothing more.

“Yes, please. Where will I be sleeping? Do you have a spare tent for me?”

Iwaizumi took the pelt that Oikawa had dropped and smacked him with it, “Don’t be so selfish. The only person here who deserves his own tent is me, but I’m stuck sharing it with you for a week.”

“Wait, what?” Oikawa was confused. He was certain that his assumptions about the sleeping arrangements had been correct. “You don’t sleep with Kindaichi?”

Iwaizumi frowned, “No, I sleep alone. Kindaichi sleeps with Kunimi and Watari in the last tent. They’re the three youngest, so it’s only fitting.”

“And then Matsukawa and Hanamaki sleep together, right?”

“Yeah, they’re in the tent right next to ours. After that is Yahaba and Kyoutani.”

So, in other words, Iwaizumi usually slept in this large tent alone. Except for now. When he would be sharing it with Oikawa.

“There’s only one bed in here,” Oikawa pointed out.

“Well, it’s not technically a bed, but yeah. There’s only one bed in each of the tents, you’ll have to get used to it.”

Oikawa stared at the pile of pelts for a long time, seeing them in a new light. It seemed like there were a lot before, but now there was barely enough. How on Earth would they be comfortable on that?

Iwaizumi slid off his boots and stood up, rummaging around the tent. He pulled out an extra blanket from a small chest and tossed it to Oikawa, “You can use this to keep warm tonight. That’s the only extra one I have, so if you get cold, then we can--”

“I won’t get cold.”

Oikawa took off his own boots and crawled onto the bed, trying to figure out how many layers of clothes he should take off, if any. Usually, he had a nightgown that he wore, made of soft silk. It was always so gentle to the touch, so comforting, so unlike these scratchy rags he wore right now.

He sighed and turned to ask Iwaizumi what he usually slept in, but turned pale at the sight in front of him. Shirtless was apparently the way to go when sleeping in a tent.

An undignified squawk left Oikawa’s mouth before he could contain it and Iwaizumi turned to look at him, his signature smirk plastered on his face, “Are you alright, prince?”

“I’m perfectly fine, I just didn’t expect you to have such a low sense of decency,” he averted his eyes, attempting to maintain a calm composure.

What was he getting so worked up for, anyway? It wasn’t as if Oikawa had never seen a shirtless man before. There were plenty of occasions that came to mind, they just weren’t like this one. Those were innocent, accidental moments in which a servant or guard had been changing in a work room or stable when Oikawa had waltzed in. He never felt.. Odd.

Maybe it was the sudden shock of seeing Iwaizumi shirtless that got to him. He certainly wasn’t expecting to turn and see so much skin. So much tanned skin. Sleek and stretched over well-defined muscles that Iwaizumi undoubtedly earned from years spent in the forest.

Oikawa swallowed and ran his hands over the fur beside him, clearing his mind. He wouldn’t get any sleep if he kept thinking about Iwaizumi like that.

_ Like what? Have I gone mad in the short time that I’ve been here? _ Oikawa shook his head and undid the bindings on his vest, setting it aside. That would be the only layer he would remove for the night, any more would be unbecoming for someone of nobility. 

“Are you ready to sleep?” Iwaizumi laid down next to him and Oikawa rolled on his side to face away from him, pulling the blanket over himself.

“Yes, goodnight.”

Iwaizumi huffed and shuffled around, getting comfortable, “Sweet dreams, Assikawa.”

A few moments passed before Oikawa got up the courage to mumble, “You too, Iwa-chan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must admit, I think of Iwaizumi as a toned individual and I plan to bring that up as much as I can get away with.


	5. Prince at Work

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to get this chapter done way faster than I thought I would! I have no idea when I'll finish chapter 6, but consider this an early blessing uwu

Daylight broke through a small gap in the tent’s entrance, soft rays disturbing Oikawa’s peaceful sleep. He whined and rolled over, tugging the blanket further over his head, “Not yet, I still need more beauty sleep.”

A soft chuckle made his eyes snap open, “Yeah, you definitely need more of that.”

Oikawa sat up and looked around, panicking for a moment before remembering what transpired the day before. This was not his bedroom because a group of thieves had kidnapped him and he ended up sleeping in one of their tents. The chuckle came from his tent-mate, Iwaizumi, who was pulling on his boots next to Oikawa. He was fully dressed as well, thank God.

Iwaizumi smiled at him, “Good morning, sunshine. How did you sleep last night?”

His glare was half-hearted in his tired state, so Iwaizumi only laughed at him, but it didn’t stop Oikawa from trying. Mornings had never been a pleasant time for the prince. He liked sleeping in as late as possible, long after the sun had risen. 

“I slept awfully. This pile of pelts was uncomfortable and nothing like my bed at home. Not to mention, I had to sleep next to some bear of a man who snored like a dying cow.”

None of that held to be entirely true. The bed was nothing like his own at home, but he slept fine on it. The pelts were soft and warm, even if they weren’t as pillowy as his usual mattress. Iwaizumi didn’t take up too much space and his snoring wasn’t even that loud. However, Oikawa could never let Iwaizumi imagine that he was not having a horrendous time. Hopefully the guilt would get to him and he’d let Oikawa go.

At this point, Oikawa’s parents had no doubt started looking for him, sending guards out to scout the area. It would only be a matter of time before they raided the camp, taking these filthy good-for-nothings as prisoners. All he needed to do was wait. Wait for their revenge to come.

“Quit your whining and get up, breakfast only serves those who get to it first. If you miss out, you’ll have to eat the dirt,” Iwaizumi snickered and walked out of the tent, chatting with his fellow thieves.

His words were motivational enough to get Oikawa out of bed and lacing up his vest with speed he never had in the mornings at the castle. No breakfast sounded like a horrible time and eating dirt sounded even worse. Although, it was possible that the dirt would taste better than the camp’s breakfast. He cringed at the thought.

Oikawa tugged his boots on and strode out of the tent, looking about the camp. Everyone was awake and present, except for the prince. All of their gazes turned to him as soon as he left the tent, pausing in their eating on the off chance that Oikawa would try to escape.

Eventually, Matsukawa got up and brought him a bowl, handing it to Oikawa with a smirk on his face, “Try to keep it down this time.”

The men chuckled quietly and Oikawa turned a few shades redder, “Thank you, I’ll try.”

This soup, like the last one, was terrible. It had a nasty taste and an even nastier texture and Oikawa only finished about half of the bowl before he gave up. Iwaizumi traded the rest of his bread for the rest of the Oikawa’s soup, even though he didn’t seem to enjoy the slop either. It was a surprisingly heartfelt gesture.

Everyone talked and laughed together, sharing jokes and stories that Oikawa couldn’t relate to. He stayed quiet and sat on his mock throne, still set up from yesterday. The thieves left him to himself, not caring too much about their prisoner. It reminded him of meals at home, except nobody would talk to each other, they would eat in silence and then dismiss themselves. Even if he didn’t engage in the conversations, it was still nice to listen to them.

“Hey, I like your setup here,” Iwaizumi settled down next to him and Oikawa rolled his eyes, chewing on his bread. “I was wondering who built this, should’ve realized it would be you. Is it a coping mechanism? Or do you just like to ooze superiority wherever you go?”

Oikawa shot a glare towards Iwaizumi, but turned it into a wide smile before he spoke, “I just wanted to add better furniture to your campsite. It needs some touch-ups.”

“You’re absolutely right. As a group that travels frequently, we should invest more time into furniture we can’t carry with us from place to place.”

“If this is your version of company, then I politely refuse it,” Oikawa shifted on his throne to face away from Iwaizumi, eating his bread instead of entertaining Iwaizumi with conversation. 

Iwaizumi sighed and leaned back some, staring up at the clouds. He wasn’t leaving, which irritated Oikawa a bit, but he also  _ wasn’t leaving _ , which was nice. It wasn’t as if Oikawa actually  _ enjoyed _ his company, but he preferred it over having no company. 

Iwaizumi cleared his throat and tried again, “That cloud right there looks like a horse with no legs and wings.” He pointed to some blob in the sky and Oikawa squinted at it.

Even though he still felt a little bitter about Iwaizumi’s mocking of his throne, Oikawa knew he wouldn’t get anywhere pouting about it. He took Iwaizumi up on his childish topic of conversation, “It looks more like a lizard on its back. See? The arms are sticking up.”

Iwaizumi chuckled and Oikawa smiled in return, “You see weird things in the clouds, Oikawa.”

“I’d say a lizard is far more normal than a legless horse with wings!”

“Aren’t cloud formations supposed to be unique daydreams? Not some ordinary thing you’d see every day. You should be more imaginative about it.”

Oikawa scoffed, “As if  _ you _ have an imagination.”

“Actually I--”

“Iwaizumi,” Kyoutani’s voice startled both men, and they looked up to meet his scowl. Oikawa hadn’t even heard him walking over, and he wondered if Kyoutani was always so quiet. “It’s time to go.”

Oikawa frowned, “Go? Go where?”

Iwaizumi stood and ruffled Oikawa’s hair, much to the prince’s annoyance, “It’s nothing to be concerned about, I’ll be back before supper.”

“Who will I stay with, though?” Surely, they wouldn’t leave him at the camp alone. Or worse, leave him at the camp with Kyoutani. 

“I’ll leave Yahaba here to keep his eye on you.”

A small groan came from across the camp, followed by a chorus of snickering. Oikawa sighed and looked over to see Yahaba glaring at him. Today would be a long one.

“Try not to miss me too much,” Iwaizumi grinned and winked at Oikawa, before turning to leave.

Oikawa felt a heat crawling up the back of his neck and he huffed at Iwaizumi. Miss him? As if he would even notice Iwaizumi’s absence. In fact, he’d welcome the peaceful silence that would fall on the camp without the crass thief there to bother him. 

The prince smiled to himself and settled back in his throne, closing his eyes. If he had to stay at the camp all day, he might as well nap for a--

“Get up,” Yahaba nudged Oikawa’s foot with his own and stood over the lazy captive. “If you’re going to stay here, you’re going to work. Iwaizumi might let you get away with this pampered prince act, but I’m not the type to just let you mooch off of us.”

“Work?” Oikawa cracked an eye open and frowned. “I’m not really the type to work.”

“Then learn to be,” Yahaba tossed a wet rag at Oikawa’s face, placing his hands on his hips. “Your first chore is cleaning the dishes from breakfast this morning. I expect them to be spotless, like the porcelain skin you pride yourself so much on.”

Oikawa whined and sat up, taking the rag off of his face. With a pout, he stared up at Yahaba, “For some reason, I feel as though you don’t like me.”

“That’s because I don’t,” Yahaba turned on his heel and strode off towards his tent, going inside and leaving Oikawa to himself. Oikawa sat for a moment, wondering if Yahaba was dumb enough to leave him on his own, before the other man poked his head out of the tent, “The dishes are by the campfire. And if you try to run, I’m rather skilled with a bow.”

That was a threat Oikawa wasn’t willing to mess with. 

He sighed and got up, sitting on a stump by the fire where Yahaba had graciously left a bucket of water and a pile of dishes. This was something that Oikawa had never pictured himself doing in all his eighteen years of life. Maybe in a joke scenario or as a young child when he would play house, but never in actual real life. Washing dishes was for peasants, the lowest of the absolute lows. And to wish dishes for a group of thieves - bandits with no place in society - it made Oikawa sick.

Nonetheless, he picked up each plate, bowl, and utensil, and scrubbed them off one by one. Working until his fingers pruned and his nails chipped. He got up to a rhythm after a few plates, and daydreamed as he worked, thinking about exploring this forest if he ever got the chance. As long as distracted his mind, his work wouldn’t bother him too much.

Around halfway through, Yahaba joined him and started to help, “God, you’re slow at this. We need to hurry, so we can have the laundry hanging by the time the sun reaches its high point.”

Oikawa sighed, “I’m working as fast as I can. It’s not like I’m used to peasant work like this.”

“You could at least call it something other than that. We’re washing dishes, not scrubbing royal bathrooms. Besides, this is something that everyone in our group does, we all contribute to the well-being of the camp.”

“I thought Iwaizumi was the leader of the group, though.”

“So? That doesn’t mean he gets out of chore work. His only privileges are that tent and his final say on things. Just because he’s in charge doesn’t mean he’s better than us, and he never acts like he’s better than us either.”

Oikawa stared at Yahaba, soaking this information in. In this camp, there was no hierarchy. Iwaizumi was in charge, yes, but that didn’t mean he got the most to eat or the most comfortable pelts or the best clothes. It just meant that he made decisions and people followed them. Everyone was equal. And everyone stayed happy that way.

“Yahaba,” Oikawa spoke up, and the thief shot him a glance, “what kind of leader is Iwaizumi?”

“What do you mean by that? I just told you, he’s not privileged, unlike some people, and he treats us all with respect.”

“No, I mean,” Oikawa chewed his lip, thinking. What  _ did _ he mean? Was he trying to see what type of person Iwaizumi was compared to others? Or what type of person Iwaizumi was compared to other leaders, like his father? “What makes Iwaizumi a good person?”

Yahaba raised a brow, “I thought we were talking about his leadership skills, not his personality.”

Oikawa blushed and went back to his dishes, scrubbing furiously. Yes, they  _ were _ talking about Iwaizumi’s leadership skills. Somewhere between thinking about leadership and asking about it, Oikawa tripped up and asked about Iwaizumi as a whole, instead of just on his skills in guiding the group. He even referred to Iwaizumi as a good person as if the idea came naturally to him. 

Yahaba seemed to let it slide and picked the conversation back up, “Iwaizumi is a good leader, and a good person, because he cares. He cares about himself, sure, but he also cares about us. Before this, everyone in our group was struggling. We were poor, we were homeless, some of us were even in prison. But Iwaizumi came out of nowhere, like some saint, and gave us new roles in life. We’ve become like family, thanks to Iwaizumi, and he treats us like our friendship is the richest thing in his life.”

“That’s surprisingly sweet.”

“Yeah, well, don’t tell the other guys I got all soft on you,” Yahaba stood and tossed his rag into the bucket. “Come on, we should put these away and get the laundry done.”

Oikawa smiled and nodded, grabbing small stacks of plates and bowls to carry over to Yahaba’s tent, where they were normally kept. Yahaba explained that his tent was actually the largest of the four and was used to store things for that reason. Extra blankets, clothes, weapons, and bags were also in his tent, sorted nicely into chests or piles. The organization earned Oikawa’s approval, it reminded him of his room back at the palace.

The two men grabbed baskets and filled them with the dirty clothes and blankets that had been left in the tents. They carried these baskets to a nearby river, and Yahaba showed Oikawa to wash and hang laundry. It was a skill the prince had never learned and, although Yahaba was bitter at first, he warmed to Oikawa’s willingness to learn.

It was surprising, even to Oikawa, how eager he was to do the chores after getting over his initial disgust towards them. Yahaba’s speech about equality in the camp had softened something in Oikawa’s heart and doing the dishes helped him to realize how hard the peasants back at home seemed to work. He couldn’t imagine the difficulty in cleaning up after a large banquet, where over a thousand dishes had to be used in one sitting.

One day in the camp had already changed Oikawa’s views on work. He promised himself that, when he got back, he would try to be kinder to the staff at the castle. And he would personally thank the people who washed dishes for him every day.

“Hey, are you still with me? Or have your daydreams taken you away again?” Oikawa looked up from the blanket he was washing to meet Yahaba’s gaze. The other man looked like he’d been trying to get Oikawa’s attention for a while.

“Sorry,” Oikawa replied, “I zoned out a bit. What did you say?”

“I said that’s the last blanket and we can go back to camp and eat lunch once we’re done. We can roast some of the deer that’s still left over, I’ll show you how to do it.”

Now was his chance to improve the cooking of the camp! If Oikawa impressed Yahaba during lunch, then he’d be able to instruct others on how to cook other meals and would hopefully save himself from one more day of slop. Oikawa would give anything in the world to keep from eating that filth.

“Yahaba, do you think we could get some things to add a little more flavor to our lunch?”

Yahaba looked at him with one of the coldest stares Oikawa had received all day, “Where exactly do you believe we’ll get spices in the middle of the woods, your highness? Do you expect me to go into town, as a known bandit, and attempt to spend most of our money on some fancy salt just to satisfy your sensitive palette?”

“No, actually, I don’t,” Oikawa met Yahaba’s icy stare and took a deep breath. He had never spent time cooking, but he  _ did _ spend a lot of time back in the kitchen at home. The cook was always cautious of him, considering Oikawa often tried stealing food, but he let him stay, nonetheless. Oikawa watched carefully, just in case he would be able to sneak into the kitchen one day and cook his own meal. It never happened, but his training had prepared him for this lunch with Yahaba today.

“So if you don’t plan on buying spices, then what? Do you plan on  _ stealing _ them?”

“No!” Oikawa huffed, “We don’t need spices. We can just use herbs. I know what rosemary and sage look like and I know how to cook with them.”

Yahaba blinked, “You know how to cook?”

“Well, sort of. I’ve never officially tried, but I know what to do. We should look for some wild vegetables, too. Anything would improve the slop that Iwa-chan usually makes.”

Yahaba got up and brushed himself, “I’ll ignore what you just called Iwaizumi in favor of hunting down these plants you think will provide a savory meal. What does rosemary look like?”

Oikawa grinned, happy to see that Yahaba was willing to do what he asked, “It has unique blue flowers and long leaves.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next time on Of Nobles and Thieves: So You Think You Can Cook?
> 
> Thank you guys for all your support! It means so much to me.


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